Combination pulpit and register desk



March 3, 1964 RUPP 3,123,414

COMBINATION PULPIT AND REGISTER DESK Filed Aug. 29, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H42a 2'7 \29 s *ssm j F I5 I i I I *T FIG. 7.

F l G 6 v INVENTOR.

Richard L. Rupp ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,123,414 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 ice 3,123,414 COMBWAIION PULPIT AND REGISTER DESK Richard L. Rupp, 700 Jefferson Ave., Defiance, Ohio Filed Aug. 29, 1962, Ser. N 220,317 11 Claims. (C1. 312-33) The present invention relates to combination pulpit and register desk, and has for an object to provide a furniture for funeral homes which will serve both as a pulpit for the use of the minister in conducting the funeral services and convertibly as a register desk upon which a register book may be placed for signature by the mourners.

The invention has for another object to provide an attractive piece of furniture for funeral homes designed to enhance the beauty and grace of any service while serving the utilitarian purpose of the pastor and registration facilities.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a combination pulpit and register desk that converts easily from one to the other in a matter of seconds.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combination pulpit and register desk which because of its dual capacity saves space and storage bother and avoids that make-shift appearance.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a combination pulpit and register desk constructed in accordance with the present invention in register desk position.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view showing the furniture in pulpit position.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view taken from the rear portion of the device with the desk in pulpit position.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary isometric view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the desk raised from the cabinet.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 6-6 in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 7-7 in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a form of keeper for retaining the desk in adjusted position to the cabinet top wall.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates generally a cabinet comprising a front wall 11, side walls 12 and 13 and a cabinet top 14 which is preferably substantially horizontal.

As shown more particularly in FIGURES 3, 6 and 7, suitable shelving 15 and 16 is fitted in the interior space of the cabinet 10, which shelving is accessible through the rear open end portion of the cabinet.

As shown more particularly in FIGURE 4, the cabinet top wall 14 is provided with spaced parallel slots 17 and 18 running from front to rear and between which upstands a guide or locating bar 19, the ends of the bar terminating at approximately the inner walls of the slots 17 and 18.

A register desk 24 detachable from the cabinet 10 is adapted to be reversibly connected to the top wall 14. This desk may conveniently consist of a front wall 21, a back wall 22 and side walls 23 and 24. The front wall 21 is of substantially lower height than the rear wall 22 and the side Walls 23 and 24 slope downwardly from the level of the upper end of the back wall 22 to the upper end of the front wall 21 in order to support at a suitable inclination a desk top 25. Afiixed to the desk top 25 is a ledge or sill 26 extending longitudinally of the lower portion thereof to act as a stop for maintaining on the inclined desk top 25 a Bible, missal, ritual or a register book.

Depending from the side walls 23 and 24 are centering strips 27 which are of substantially the lengths of the slots 17 and 18 and are adapted to be removably fitted therein. These strips have shouldered end abutments 28 for abutting the end walls of the slots 17 and 18 to avoid any casual or sliding relative movement of the desk 20 on the cabinet top 14.

Keepers 29, shown more particularly in FIGURE 8, are carried by the lower ends of the strips 27, preferably by pivot pins 30, which enables the keepers 29 to be in alignment with the strips 27 during the attachment and detachment of the desk to and from the cabinet top. However; after the desk has been duly positioned upon the cabinet the keepers 29 are turned at substantially right angles so as to extend crosswise of the slots and beneath lower portions of the cabinet top whereby to retain the desk 20 in position upon the cabinet top 14.

The centening strips 27 may be simply projections of the side walls 23 and 24.

The side walls 23 and 24 will abut the ends of the guide bar'19 in the assembled position of the desk to the cabinet, as shown in FIGURE 6, which also shows the keepers 29 in the locked position.

The front wall 21 of the desk has an opening 31 which permits access to the upper surface of the cabinet top 14 within the confines of the desk 20. This confined space may receive leaflets, cards or the like found in funeral homes.

It wil be understood that the furniture may be finished in matching colors and may contain suitable external decoration suitable to the character of the service. For instance the front cabinet Wall 11 is shown embellished with a cruciform figure 32.

In the use of the device, in the position of FIGURE 1, the same is arranged as a register desk, the front Wall 11 being exposed outwardly to the mourners who according to custom and convention will approach the desk and sign the register contained thereon.

Just before the beginning of service an attendant in the funeral parlor will reach through the open back portion of the cabinet, unlatch the keepers 29, lift off the desk 20 and rotate it to the positions of FIGURES 2, 3, 6 and 7, reinsert the centering strips and rotate the keepers 29 back to the locked position. By this simple action the furniture is converted to a pulpit where the front wall 11 is then presented to the assembled seated mourners, while the clergyman stands behind the open rear portion of the cabinet where missals, Bibles or other liturgical volumes may be ready at hand upon the shelving 15, 16, or robes or vestments may be contained on such shelving. The top 20 of the desk will then be inclined downwardly toward the clergyman in a suitable position to maintain his ritual.

The side walls 23 and 24 of the desk are shown in FIGURES 5 and 8 to be of a composite structure comprising each two members 23, 23 and 24, 24 The members 23 and 24 extend down below the lower ends of the members 23: and 24 which latter engage at their lower ends upon the cabinet top 14 while the members 23 and 24 are of the thickness of the slots 17 and 18 and snugly fit therein in a lateral sense. The members 23 and 24 together with the front wall 21 and the rear wall 22 support the desk upon the cabinet top. These members 23 and 24 may be in the nature of facing or veneer strips.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

3 What is claimed is: 1. A combination pulpit and register desk comprising (a) a cabinet member, (12) a ministerial and register desk member, and (c) convertible means between said desk and cabinet members for convertibly combining said members in relatively reverse positions to act either as a pulpit or a register desk. 2. A combination pulpit and register desk as claimed in claim 1 further comprising (d) fastening means for detachably retaining members in either position. 3. A combination pulpit and register desk as claimed in claim 1 in which said convertible means comprises (d) centering strips on one of the members and (e) receiving slots in the other member into which the centering strips are fitted. 4. A combination pulpit and register desk as claimed in claim 1 in which said cabinet member comprises (d) a front wall, (e) side walls united to the front wall, (f) an open back portion, (g) internal shelving accessible to the open back portion, and (h) a top portion on which said desk member is supported in either position. 5. A combination pulpit and register desk as claimed in claim 1 in which said desk member includes (d) an inclined desk top sloping in relatively opposite directions incident to the conversion of the device into the pulpit or register desk. 6. A combination pulpit and register desk as claimed in claim 1 in which said desk member comprises (d) front and rear walls of unequal height, (2) side walls, (1) a sloping desk top, said front wall having (g) a cutaway portion to admit access to the upper portion of the space within the desk above the upper portion of the cabinet member. 7. A combination pulpit and register desk as claimed in claim 3 further comprising (f) fastening means on the centering strips adapted to be entered through the slots and turned crosswise thereof. 8. A combination pulpit and register desk as claimed in claim 3 in which the receiving slots (f) are in the upper portion of the cabinet member and the centering strips (g) project downwardly from the desk member. 9. A combination pulpit and register desk as claimed 5 in claim 3 further comprising (1) a guide member on the slotted member for guiding the centering strips of the other member into the slots. 10. A combination pulpit and register desk as claimed in claim 4 in which the front wall (i) terminates substantially above the floor line to admit the feet of a mourner when the desk member is in register position. 11. A combination pulpit and register desk comprising (a) a cabinet member including ([2) a front wall, (c) side walls, (d) an open back portion, (2) a desk including 20 (f) front and rear walls of unequal height,

(g) end walls having upper edges inclined from the front to the rear wall, (It) a sloping desk top on said desk walls, (i) centering strips extending downwardly from said side walls, said cabinet top having 29 (j) slots positioned to receive the centering strips, said centering strips having (k) shoulders at end portions thereof for abutting the ends of the slots to avoid relative shifting movement 30 between the cabinet and desk,

(I) movable keepers carried by the lower portions of the centering strips for pivotal movement beneath the cabinet top, and

(m) a guide bar upstanding from the cabinet top be- 35 tween the slots adapted to abut inner ends of the desk side walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 301,345 Dupin July 1, 1884 492,316 White Feb. 21, 1893 1,813,793 Bullock July 7, 1931 1,818,606 Burks Aug. 11, 1931 2,522,210 Cohen Sept. 12, 1950 2,934,388 Brown Apr. 26, 1960 

1. A COMBINATION PULPIT AND REGISTER DESK COMPRISING (A) A CABINET MEMBER, (B) A MINISTERIAL AND REGISTER DESK MEMBER, AND (C) CONVERTIBLE MEANS BETWEEN SAID DESK AND CABINET MEMBERS FOR CONVERTIBLY COMBINING SAID MEMBERS IN RELATIVELY REVERSE POSITIONS TO ACT EITHER AS A PULPIT OR A REGISTER DESK. 